Dani Pedrosa led from start to finish today at Misano, converting his pole position to his fourth victory of the season and first ever back-to-back grand prix wins. Unfortunately it was also the second grand prix weekend in a row where a racer lost their life prior to the main event. Shoya Tomizawa, the winner of the inaugural 600cc grand prix at Qatar this year, succumbed to injuries sustained during a crash in the earlier Moto2 race. The death of the 19-year-old Japanese comes just one week after 13-year-old American Peter Lenz died in an accident during a support race at Indianapolis.
Points leader Jorge Lorenzo and Fiat Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi finished second and third respectively, but there was no celebration afterward. Podium flags were flown at half mast and, as a mark of respect for Tomizawa, champagne was not sprayed.
Pedrosa’s win narrows Lorenzo’s championship lead by five. With six rounds to go, the Repsol Honda rider now sits 63 points behind his fellow countryman.
Round 13 of the MotoGP championship will be held at the new Aragon circuit, in Spain, on September 19.
2010 Misano MotoGP – Race results
1. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 44m 22.059s
2. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Fiat Yamaha Team 44m 23.959s
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 44m 25.242s
4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 44m 28.513s
5. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 44m 40.538s
6. Ben Spies USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 44m 50.444s
7. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 44m 56.993s
8. Alvaro Bautista ESP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 45m 0.216s
9. Hector Barbera ESP Paginas Amarillas Aspar 45m 3.002s
10. Marco Melandri ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 45m 4.436s
11. Aleix Espargaro ESP Pramac Racing 45m 7.965s
12. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP 45m 8.453s
13. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 45m 12.54s
14. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini
DNF:
Mika Kallio FIN Pramac Racing
Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team
Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
2010 MotoGP Riders’ Championship
1 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 271
2 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 208
3 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 139
4 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 130
= Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 130
6 Ben Spies Monster Yamaha Tech 3 120
7 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 109
8 Randy de Puniet LCR Honda 81
9 Marco Melandri San Carlo Honda Gresini 67
10 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 66
11 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 65
12 Hector Barbera Aspar Racing Team 61
13 Alex Espargaro Pramac Racing Team 44
14 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 41
= Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 41
16 Mika Kallio Pramac Racing Team 31
17 Hiroshi Aoyama Interwetten Honda 26
18 Alex de Angelis Interwetten Honda 11
19 Roger Lee Hayden LCR Honda 5
20 Kousuke Akiyoshi Interwetten Honda 4
21 Wataru Yoshikawa Fiat Yamaha Team 1